Rapid HIV Test Could Revolutionize Clinical Laboratory Testing Performed in Developing Nations
Handheld device promises reliable, fast, cheap point-of-care Medical laboratory testing in world’s remote areas
New clinical laboratory testing technology is about to revolutionize how HIV and syphilis testing is conducted in developing nations and remote areas. For the first time, researchers have successfully field-tested a rapid, sensitive, and low-cost test for HIV and syphilis that could replace the more expensive and less efficient tests currently available for use.
The new multiplex assay is called “mChip” and consists of a clear plastic device approximately the size of a credit card. It uses blood samples of 1 microlitre and produces results within 20 minutes. During the field study, this pathology testing device was 100% accurate in detecting HIV-positive cases and there was only one false positive out of 70 total samples, according to the report published online by Nature Medicine. This pathology testing device showed equally impressive results when used as a dual test of HIV and syphilis, with similar accuracy for HIV and 94% detection of syphilis cases. False positives for syphilis ran at four out of 67 total samples. (more…)